All Nippon Airways plans eVTOL air taxis in Japan

Japan’s ANA Holdings, the parent company of ANA – All Nippon Airways (NH, Tokyo Haneda), and US flying taxi start-up Joby Aviation have announced plans to bring electric take-off and landing (eVTOL) aerial ridesharing services to Japan.

In a joint statement, the companies announced their intentions to collaborate on all aspects of establishing eVTOL operations in Japan, including the development of infrastructure, pilot training, flight operations, air traffic management, public acceptance, and the regulatory requirements to operate. The integration with ground transportation would also be considered, with Toyota Motor Corporation joining the partnership to support the effort. The parties would also conduct joint discussions with relevant private companies local and national governments.

The partners are existing members of Japan’s Public-Private Conference for the Future Air Mobility Revolution, established by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Investment and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to accelerate the adoption of aerial ridesharing in the country.

California-based Joby Aviation is developing an all-electric, five-seat eVTOL aircraft with a range of 241km, a top speed of 321km/h, and a low noise profile to allow it to access built-up areas. “Joby Aviation has spent more than a decade developing the technology behind its aircraft, completing more than 1,000 test flights, and becoming the first, and only, eVTOL company to sign a G-1 (stage 4) Certification Basis for their aircraft with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),” said Chief Executive Officer, JoeBen Bevirt.

With 92% of Japanese living in urban areas and Tokyo registering as one of the top 20 most congested cities globally, Bevirt said aerial ridesharing would bring significant time-saving benefits to the country. For example, a 50km journey from Osaka station to Kansai International Airport would take less than 15 minutes by air rather than one hour by car.

ANA HD Representative Director and Executive Vice President Koji Shibata said: “Our customers value efficiency very highly, so being able to provide them with the option to travel rapidly – and sustainably – from an international airport to a downtown location is very appealing”.

The concept of aerial ridesharing has been rapidly gathering momentum in Japan as the country accelerates its efforts to prepare for the 2025 World Expo to be held in the western capital of Osaka, the third most populous city in Japan and the largest component of the Keihanshin metropolitan area of more than 18 million residents.

While Joby’s aerial ridesharing service will be operated directly by the company and offered to passengers via the Joby app or Uber app in core US markets, Joby said this announcement reflected its strategy to partner with local companies to launch its service in select markets outside the US. Joby also expects to work with local ground mobility partners.

Joby already has strong connections with Japan, having worked alongside Toyota since 2019. As well as continuing to lend their expertise on manufacturing process development and high-volume production to Joby, Toyota would look to partner in other aspects of the venture. Toyota is Joby’s largest outside investor, with nearly USD400 million invested to date.